TrumpWatch, Day 136: Trump Picks Fight Over the London Attack

Trump falsifies remarks of Mayor of London: “There is no reason to be alarmed”

Developments on Day 136 of the Trump Administration:

Trump Criticizes Mayor of London after Friday Attack

Donald Trump puts himself in the middle of the story over Saturday’s attack in central London, denouncing the city’s mayor.

The attack, in which seven people were killed and the three assailants were shot dead, has been headlined by US media — taking over from the daily revelations about the Trump-Russia inquiry and events such as Trump’s announcement of withdrawal from the Paris Accord on climate change. However, Trump returned to the center of attention within hours of the attack, using to promote his blocked executive order banning entry into the US by refugees and citizens of six mainly-Muslim countries.

On Sunday, Trump put out more statements via Twitter. He started by blaming political correctness for terrorism and concluded with a muddled tweet, “Do you notice we are not having a gun debate right now? That’s because they used knives and a truck!” In between, he aimed at Sadiq Khan, falsifying the highly-regarded Mayor of London’s words:

At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!"

In fact, Khan said that the UK “would not allow the terrorists win”. He had not downplayed the threat of further attacks, cautioning that he expected them, and he asked the public “not to be alarmed” about an escalation in security forces, some of them armed, on London’s streets.

Trump’s Twitter offensive stood in stark contrast to messages from other leaders, offering condolences and support for London.

Awful news from London tonight. We're monitoring the situation – Canadians in need of help please see below: https://t.co/NVHwMlD2uu

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About The Author

Scott Lucas is Professor of International Politics at the University of Birmingham and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView. He is a specialist in US and British foreign policy and international relations, especially the Middle East and Iran. Formerly he worked as a journalist in the US, writing for newspapers including the Guardian and The Independent and was an essayist for The New Statesman before he founded EA WorldView in November 2008.